The National Examinations Council (NECO) has begun investigations into cases of mass cheating involving 38 schools across 13 states during the conduct of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE Internal).
NECO Registrar, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, disclosed this on Wednesday in Minna, Niger State, while releasing the 2025 SSCE results.
He revealed that the affected schools will be summoned for discussions before appropriate sanctions are imposed.
đź“Ś Malpractice Cases Reduced in 2025
According to Wushishi, the mass cheating incidents form part of 3,878 cases of malpractice recorded this year, a significant drop from 10,094 cases in 2024.
He said nine supervisors — three in Rivers, one in Niger, three in the FCT, one in Kano, and one in Osun — have been recommended for blacklisting over poor supervision, aiding malpractice, lateness, unruly behavior, and insubordination.
Wushishi also cited a unique case in Lamorde Local Government, Adamawa State, where communal clashes disrupted exams in eight schools between July 7 and 25. The violence affected 13 subjects and 29 papers, with discussions ongoing with the state government to reschedule the exams.
“The Council is determined to safeguard the integrity of its examinations. We will not hesitate to sanction any school or official found culpable in malpractice or negligence,” Wushishi warned.
đź“Š Performance Breakdown
Despite malpractice concerns, the 2025 results reflected strong performance outcomes:
- Total Candidates Registered: 1,367,210 (685,514 males and 681,696 females)
- Total Candidates Who Sat for Exams: 1,358,339
- Five Credits (Including English & Mathematics): 818,492 candidates (60.26%)
- Five Credits (Irrespective of Core Subjects): 1,144,496 candidates (84.26%)
He added that 1,622 candidates with special needs participated, including 941 with hearing impairments and 191 with visual impairments.
In the state performance breakdown, Kano State led with 68,159 candidates (5.02%) obtaining five credits including English and Mathematics, followed by Lagos (67,007) and Oyo (48,742). At the other end, Gabon, one of NECO’s foreign centres, recorded zero candidates with five credits including the core subjects.
đź“š Key Reforms Going Forward
The NECO boss announced that the council will now conduct the SSCE on only 38 subjects in line with the revised national curriculum. This move, he explained, will shorten the examination process and reduce waiting time for results.
Fielding questions from journalists, Wushishi stressed that NECO is committed to strict monitoring and transparency:
“The reduction in malpractice cases this year is proof of our seriousness. We will continue to strengthen oversight mechanisms to maintain public trust.”
